Users don´t have an option to get a personal score based on their own environmental footprint.
How might we help people manage their own data around their environmental footprint doing visible the individual impact?
I first focused on recycling forgetting the consumption habits
Based on my own biases I assumed that the community did not have enough information about the recycling process but by doing an exhaustive competitive analysis and the interviews I discovered people’s interest in improving their consumption habits.
Getting feedback early before designing the entire experience was important.
I started with basic wireframes of the discover and the detail page of each recommendation – the two I believed were most essential to the concept. I tested the wireframes with two interviewees to understand which they preferred in terms of search and discovery, extracting information, and visual appeal. This guided how I designed the rest of the experience.
I synthesized interview results to form a typical user’s recycling journey and discovered there were three clear phases where users struggled.
People use RSS looking for environmental advice
Through the interviews and tests, I could discover the user’s habits of looking for content in the RRSS for advice, resources, and contacts.
Users want to improve their behaviors and want a guide on it
People expressed on several occasions the interest in improving their habits at the same time there are not many options to get an accurate guide.
It’s hard to find the complete information in one place
Users with the recycling habit done said they do not have a problem tracking their own consume and want to know more about their own environmental footprint.
Discovering, tracking, and sharing their own consume.
Users prefer products that are in line with what they are used to. For that, I identified a few products that were already exemplifying aspects of my design goals really well to see what I could learn from them. Using the Activity app from Ios as the main inspiration.
More Visual and Smooth
Before creating high fidelity prototypes, I wanted to develop a visual language to keep things consistent across all the elements in the product. I wanted the look and feel of nature.
Design to avoid disruption
After several tests with users, I discovered they need to enjoy the mobile experience to keep the constancy. I added a quick way to upload products, and appealing graphics to invite them to explore their own data and invite contacts.
Thinking further down the product roadmap
There were so many possibilities for Refeel, but I had to be smart about what features I included in the MVP. With the MVP likely to be fairly basic and free to users, I wanted to also think about how this product could eventually monetize the experience and grow market share. Some ideas I had were…
1. Work with local individuals and groups
This could help grow the uniqueness of recommendations as well as help the local economy.
2. Partner with social media influencers
It’s clear that Instagram is a huge part of researching so it makes sense to capitalize on it. Partnering with influencers will raise brand awareness and encourage the adoption of Refeel.
3. Expand into other activities
Currently, Refeel only offers track but as the product gains traction, more categories could be added to expand the user base and grow market share, offering workshops and content.